Public Institutions of the State of Guatemala: Observe and ensure due process of law for the Guatemalan Genocide.

Genocide is an international crime of high importance and a trial is more than a conviction. It is an opportunity for Guatemalan society to reconcile itself with its history. It is the obligation of Guatemala and the international community to prevent and sanction genocide.

Letter to

Public Institutions of the State of Guatemala

We, the undersigned, as individuals committed professionally, academically, and personally to the struggle for human rights and to the preservation of a just and equitable world, affirm our interest in the judicial process regarding the accusations of Genocide and Violations of Human Rights brought against the former head of state of Guatemala, General Efraín Rios Montt, and the former Head of Intelligence, José Mauricio Sánchez. The ruling of the Constitutional Court on the Proceedings of the First Court for High Risk Cases, which sentenced the former Commander General of the Armed Forces and the former Head of State, Ríos Montt, to 80 years imprisonment, obliges us to examine a justice system characterized by the policies of impunity that have done so much harm to the Guatemalan society.This document is a clarion call for justice in a country that requires as much in order to establish a culture of peace and progress. A trial and judgment for Genocide has been and will continue to be a means for Guatemalans to demonstrate to themselves and to the entire world their level of commitment toward an inclusive society that respects the rights of all individuals. We cannot allow the usual clandestine operations that manipulate the entire State structure to re-emerge, obfuscating issues as important as Genocide and Human Rights violations. Nor can we allow these issues to be ignored, as they must be confronted with the gravity, profundity, and objectivity that respect for human dignity demands. We admire the victims, survivors, witnesses, judges, attorneys, and plaintiffs who have withstood the pressure placed upon them, a pressure intended to eliminate any and all adjudication or accountability for these types of crimes—crimes that, in any other part of the world, would receive the highest degree of condemnation. This is a pivotal moment in the reconstruction of the justice system, a moment in which all Guatemalan citizens and all interested parties must participate in re-creating an objective and independent system of justice. No more interference. No more manipulation. No more threats. It is time for justice. Accordingly, we urge the victims, survivors, and all Guatemalans in general to continue their historic struggle for justice, truth and reparations.